A Possible Recipe for Healthy Societies

BestTabletFor.Me, accessed 12/10/2017

I will begin by saying that all of what will follow in this post are hypotheses for the ingredients that go into making a healthy and functional social and ecological world, no more, no less.  Healthy and functional societies are, according to my definition alone, those that can adapt to changing needs and knowledge, ensure a certain baseline quality of life that is desirable for all its citizens, enable exploration and ethical experimentation, maintains a certain level of asabiya, or collective cohesiveness, according to Ibn Khaldun's definition of it, and preserves or enhances the condition of the environment and ecosystems in which we live. To accomplish these objectives (which can be broken down into groups of variables for measurement and evaluation), the following seem to be needed in the society:

1. Political institutions and officials who can be effectively held accountable by members of the general public through non-violent methods.
2. Political institutions and officials who, as a result of their relationship with the society, are given the incentive to seek feedback and make adjustments to policy and programs to better suit the society.
3. Quality and universally accessible education with wraparound services for children, parents, and adults.  These programs need to be aimed at promoting pro-sociability, healthy problem-solving skills, and a love of learning and knowledge.  It also needs to identify anti-social individuals and families to provide them support and opportunities to heal. 
4. Quality and universally accessible healthcare, such that the entire population can receive treatment for their problems free or low-cost on delivery.
5. Quality, green, and locally tailored infrastructure projects and public works to support and maintain life on this or any planet.  These must be maintained after they're built, and that the proper investments must continuously be made to maintain and potentially upgrade them over their lifetimes.
6. A system of laws to govern the decentralization of the ownership and division of wealth in all companies, tailored for appropriate size and industry context.  The goal here is that each individual can have a minimal spending to income ratio with opposition being placed on a single individual or group monopolizing the means of production and its produced wealth.
7. Publicly funded research and innovation insurance in all scientific fields, including the social sciences to push the limits of human capabilities and capacities.
8. Equitable and enforced social and economic protections and outreach for all groups in society, especially those that are frequently marginalized or forgotten.

The hypotheses that are listed here are, in this context, are thought to be more than a matter of taste and opinion.  These hypothetical traits, policies, and programs are thought by this author to actually make societies be healthier and more resilient places starting from the initiation of this policy set as a collective whole.  Other policies may be done, and the execution of many of these hypotheses are likely more challenging than they appear on the surface.  What is being asserted here is that societies which choose to place an emphasis on the policies and programs listed above will, on average, do better than societies who don't or won't genuinely and effectively adopt them.

It should also be noted that the items listed above will require public institutions to take the lead on developing and shaping them to face the local context.  In history, privately owned and operated institutions have never enabled these policy traits and programs from occurring in sufficient quantities and qualities needed to support life.  These policies require the backing of law and law enforcement to come into this world, funded by universally enforced taxation on private wealth.  It is true that this taxation requires the support and endorsement by the general public to occur.  However, it should be pointed out that without taxes that the society in question is not likely to get these policies and programs, and will likely suffer because of it.